Liquid discharge



P 12, 1967 J. o. HRUBY.ETAL 3,341,133

LIQUID DISCHARGE Filed July 6, 1965 United States Patent 3,341,133LIQUID DISCHARGE John 0. Hruby, Jr., and Wayne W. Frempter, Burbank,Calif., assignors to Rain Jet Corporation, Burbank, Calif., acorporation of California Filed July 6, 1965, Ser. No. 469,676 15Claims. (Cl. 239-598) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relatesgenerally to the art of discharging v liquids in a spray of discretedroplets. More particularly, this invention relates to liquid dischargedevices having no moving parts and which produce a spray of liquiddroplets over a wide area.

United States Patent 3,082,961, issued on Mar. 26, 1963, to John O.Hruby, In, and assigned to the assignee of the presentinvention,.discloses a liquid discharge device which relies upon thereverberationof a mixture of liquid and air in a chamber of the deviceto produce a pulsating discharge of liquid and air through an outletopening from the chamber. Devices in accord with this patent have manyareas of utility such as, by Way of example rather than limitation, innuclear fallout washdown systems, industrial nozzles, sewage aerationnozzles, and lawn sprinklers. In many of these applications, such as insewage aeration nozzles, the principle benefit provided by devices inaccord with Patent 3,082,961 is that eflicient aeration of the liquiddischarged is provided by a device having no moving parts; uniformdistribution of the discharged liquid over a selected area is notnecessary in most cases. On the other hand, where a device in accordwith Patent 3,082,961 is to be used as a lawn sprinkler, for example, itis desired, for obvious reasons, that the liquid discharged bedistributed as uniformly as. possible over a selected area of the lawn.

It has been discovered that devices constructed in accord with theillustrations of Patent 3,082,961 do not produce a uniform distributionof liquid over an' area adjacent the device. We have found that bysuitably contouring the edges of, the outlet opening from the interiorchamber of reverberation-type liquid discharge devices as are shown inthe above-mentioned patent, the pattern of liquid discharge from suchdevices may be controlled appreciably.

In particular, we have found that the distribution of discharged liquidover an area proximate the device is improved with respect to thedistribution of liquid over areas more remote from the device. I

Generally speaking, this invention provides a liquid discharging anddistributing device 7 comprising a body defining an interior chamberhaving spaced ends. One end of the chamber defines a liquid inletopening into the chamber. The body defines walls for the chamber and anoutlet opening laterally from the chamber. The outlet opening is spacedfrom the ends of the chamber and has a minimum area which is greaterthan the area of the inlet opening. The outlet opening has peripheralboundary surfaces which are configured and arranged so that the minimumarea of the outlet opening is defined at a selected location laterallyof the chamber and produces a characteristic distribution pattern inliquid emitted from the device through the outlet opening.

Preferably, the outlet opening is defined by relieving the chamber wallat the exterior of the body along at least a portion of the periphery ofthe outlet opening.

The above-mentioned and other features of the invention are more fullyset forth in the following detailed description of the invention, whichdescription is presented in conjunction with the accompanying drawingwherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, with a portion thereof broken away, of aliquid discharging and distributing device according to this invention;7

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional elevation view of the device shownin FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a device according to FIG. 1 installed in alawn as a component of a lawn sprinkling system;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of another liquid discharging anddistributing device according to this invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional elevation view of another device accordingto this invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional elevation view of another device accordingto this invention; and

FIG. 7 is a cross-section view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

' FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 illustrate a water discharging and distributingdevice 10 according to this invention. Device 10 is particularly adaptedfor use as a sprinkling head in an underground lawn sprinkling systemfor lawn 11 (see FIG. 3). The device includes a body 12 defining aninterior chamber 13 having opposite end surfaces 14 and 15 spaced apartalong an axis 16 of the chamber by the length of the chamber. Body 12defines walls 17 of the chamber. One end of the body is externallythreaded as at 18 so that the body is adapted to be connected in liquidflow relation to a liquid supply duct such as a riser pipe in anunderground lawn sprinkling system.

In device 10 the chamber is defined by a tubular body and is of rightcircularly cylindrical configuration; end

surfaces 14 and 15 are disposed normal to the axis of the chamber. Thebody, except to the extent hereinafter noted, provides chamber walls ofuniform thickness. It is to be understood, however, that device 10 isreferred to merely as a presently preferred embodiment of this inventionparticularly illustrative of the benefits provided by this invention.Workers skilled in the art to which this invention relates willappreciate that chamber 13 need not be of right circularly cylindricalconfiguration (e.g., it may be barrel-shaped or square), that the endsurfaces of the chamber need not be normal to the elongate extent of thechamber, and that the Walls of the chamber need not be of uniformthickness. It is preferred, however, that the inner surfaces of thechamber walls be smoothly contoured along the length of the chamber. I

End surface 14 of chamber 13 is defined by a plug 20 fixedly mounted inthe body. The plug defines a fluid inlet opening 21 into the chamber.The body, at a location spaced between the end surfaces of the chamber,defines an outlet opening 22 laterally of the chamber through thechamber walls. The outlet opening has a minimum area (preferably thearea of the outlet opening at the inner surfaces of the chamber walls)greater than the area of the inlet opening;

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, outlet opening 22 has a greater extenttransversely of the chamber than it does along the length of thechamber. It will be apparent from an examination of FIGS. 6 and 7,however, that this characteristic of device 10 is not essential to allembodiments of this invention since the outlet opening of the deviceshown in FIGS. 6 and 7 has a greater extent along the chamber thantransversely of the chamber.

' Where the outlet opening is wider than it is long, as in device 10, itis preferred, for best liquid discharging performance, that the inletopening to the chamber be located eccentrically of the axis of thechamber. In device 10, inlet opening 21 is located eccentric of chamberaxis 16. The entire area of the inlet opening is located within thecylinder defined by the interior surfaces of chamber walls 17. For bestperformance of device as a lawn sprinkler head, inlet opening 21 iscentered toward the outlet opening on the radial plane through thechamber which bisects the transverse extent of outlet opening 22.

Outlet opening 22 has inner and outer lower edges 25 and 26,respectively. The inner lower edge of the opening is defined by theintersection of the inner surfaces of body 12 with the opening. Edge 26lies between the inner and outer surfaces of the body and is defined byrelieving the exterior of the body toward the chamber along an inclinedsurface 27 which extends around the body between the ends of the outletopening. Between edges 25 and 26 the outlet opening has a wall surface28 which is inclined upwardly at an angle of about 30 relative tochamber axis 16. Surface 28 is circularly cylindrical concave toward theupper end of the chamber. Edges 25 and 26 are parallel to each other.

The outlet opening has inner and outer upper edges 30 and 31,respectively, defined by the inner and outer surfaces of body 12. Anupper wall surface 32 of the outlet opening extends between edges 30 and31. Inner edges 25 and 30 are parallel to each other along their entireextent, and surface 32 is a circularly cylindrical surface parallel tosurface 28. Preferably surfaces 27 and 32 are normal to each other, butthis relation is not essential to successful practice of the invention.

Outlet opening 22 has end surfaces 33 and 34 which are coplanar radiallyof chamber 13. It should be understood, however, that the coplanarrelation of surfaces 33 and 34 is a special case and exists only wherethe outlet opening extends 180 around body 12. Devices have been builtwhich are similar in all respects to device 10 except that the outletopenings extend 90 around the body; in such devices the end surfaces ofthe outlet openings are radial of the chamber and normal to each other.

FIG. 3 shows device 10 installed in the surface of a lawn 11. The deviceis vertically mounted to the upper end of a riser pipe (not shown) in anunderground lawn sprinkling system. When water is supplied to thedevice, the device operates to discharge discrete droplets uniformlyover a semicircular area 35; the device is located at the midpoint ofthe diameter of the area. The device operates to produce a pulsatingdischarge of water droplets. The droplets emerge from the device in afan-shaped array, but the plane of the fan shaped array flutters orpivots randomly about an imaginary horizontal axis within the device. Asa result of the random flutter action, the discharged water droplets aredistributed uniformly over area 35. It is believed that the randomflutter action of device 10 is produced by an interaction, akin toreverberation or resonance, of air and water within the portion ofchamber 13 which lies above outlet opening 22. It is believed that waterintroduced into the chamber through inlet opening 21 compresses aquantity of air in the upper portion of the chamber as operation of thedevice is first commenced. This pocket of air acts as a baffie andcauses the plane of the fan shaped droplet array to assume a givenaltitude relative to body 12. The trapped air pocket, however, is notstable and moves about in the chamber. Further, the air pocket changesvolume and periodically breaks down only to be re-establishedsubstantially immediately by air drawn into the chamber through theoutlet opening. These alterations in the condition of the air pockettake place rapidly, and thus the altitude of the plane of the dischargeddroplet array relative to body 12 is rapidly varied. Thus, the dischargefrom the device is violent, and its violence produces the discretedroplets referred to above. In fact, the flutter in the dischargedpattern is so violent that the planar nature of the droplet array at anyinstant is more theoretical than actual; the characterization of thedroplet array as planar has been made merely for the purposes ofdescription and explanation of the operation of device 10.

If the outer extent of the lower edge of outlet opening 22 were notrelieved or cut-away as described above, the distribution of waterdroplets in outer portion 35a of area 35 would be heavier than thedistribution of droplets in inner portion 35b of area 35 proximatedevice 10. The relief of the lower edge of the outlet opening, however,improves the distribution pattern over area 35 so that the distributionof water droplets in area 35b is more nearly equal to the distributionof water droplets in area 35a.

FIG. 4 illustrates a water discharge device 40 which includes acylindrical tubular body 41 defining an internal chamber 42 havingspaced end surfaces, only the upper end surface 43 being shown. Thechamber has a lower end surface defined by a plug (not shown, but seeFIG. 2) within the body. The plug defines an inlet opening to thechamber which is smaller in area than an outlet opening 44 providedthrough body 41 laterally from chamber 42. The extent of the outletopening 44 which extends along the body is centered about a plane whichextends normal to the elongate extent of chamber 42. The outlet openinghas semicircularly configured ends 45 and parallel upper and lowersurfaces 46 and 47, respectively, which lie normal to the axis ofchamber 42. The upper and lower surfaces of the outlet opening arespaced from the end surfaces of the chamber. The exterior surfaces ofbody 41 around the lower peripheral extent of the outlet opening arerelieved as at 48 so that the body has a reduced wall thicknessimmediately adjacent the lower peripheral surface of the outlet opening.

Device 40 is like device 10, in that it has exaggerated flutter-typedischarge characteristics downwardly from the outlet opening. As notedabove, the flutter provided in the discharge from device 10 isaccentuated in a downward direction by the relief of the lower edge ofoutlet opening 22.

Another liquid discharging and distributing device 50 according to thisinvention, shown in FIG. 5, includes a circular tubular body 51 definingan internal chamber 52. The upper end of the tubular body is closed by aplug 53 which is secured to the body by screws 54 or the like. The plugdefines an upper surface 55 of chamber 52. The chamber has a lowersurface (not shown) defined by a similar plug which also defines aninlet opening to the chamber. As with devices 10 and 40, the inletopening to chamber 52 is smaller in cross-sectional area than an outletopening 56 from chamber 52. Outlet opening 56 is of the same generalconfiguration and orientation relative to the axis of chamber 52 as isoutlet opening 44 relative to chamber 42. Opening 56, however, hasparallel upper and lower surfaces 57 and 58 which extend from the innerto the outer surfaces of the body. The equivalent of a relief in theexterior surface of the body adjacent the outlet opening is provided bya thin-walled tubular insert or mask member 59 which is disposed alongthe inner surface of the chamber walls adjacent opening 56. The insertis located in the chamber so that its upper edge 60 is positioned aselected distance toward surface 57 from surface 58 so that theeffective area of the outlet opening from the chamber is greater thanthe area of the inlet opening to the chamber.

Each of devices 10, 40, and 50 has the characteristic that the outletopening thereof extends generally transversely of the interior chamberof the device. In such devices, it is preferred that each transverseedge of the outlet opening be located from the adjacent chamber andsurface a distance no less than one-quarter of the maximum transversedimension of the chamber. In other words, in the case of device 10, thelower end upper edges 25 and 30 of outlet opening 22, at their closestproximity to end surfaces 14 and 15, respectively, are spaced from theend surfaces by a distance at least as great as one-quarter the diameterof chamber 13. Such a relation of the outlet opening to the end surfacesof the chamber assures sufiicient reverberation action of liquidintroduced into the chamber to produce the desired flutter in thepattern of the liquid droplets discharged from the device.

Another liquid discharging and distributing device 65 is shown in FIGS.6 and 7. Device 65 includes an elongated tubular body 66 having acircularly cross-sectional configuration defining an internal chamber67. The body is externally threaded as at 68 adjacent one end thereof toadapt the body for connection to a liquid supply duct. Internally of thebody and adjacent the threaded end there of is a plug 69 which hasformed axially therethrough a cylindrical inlet opening 70 to chamber67. The other end of the body is closed by a plug 71. Plugs 69 and 71define end surfaces 72 and 73 of the chamber, respectively. Chamber 67communicates with the exterior of the device through an outlet opening74 which extends longitudinally of the body between ends 75 and 76spaced from the adjacent end surfaces of the chamber. Outlet opening 74has a greater extent longitudinally of the body than it doestransversely of the body. The outlet opening has side wall surfaces 77and 78 which diverge from each other (see FIG. 7) an amount greater thanthe arc subtended by the gap between the intersections of surfaces 77and 78 with the inner surfaces of body 66. Accordingly, it is seen thatthe exterior surfaces of body 66 adjacent the longitudinal edges ofoutlet opening 74 are relieved toward the chamber.

Device 65 is useful as a sewage aeration nozzle and, in operation,preferably is disposed so that the axis of chamber 67 is horizontal andso that opening 74 is disposed above the axis of the chamber. The reliefof the side Walls of outlet opening 74 assures that the discharge of thedevice oscillates over a wide angle so that maximum aeration of thedischarged liquid device is provided.

From the foregoing it is apparent that this invention provides anextremely eflicient yet remarkably simple liquid discharging devicewhich has many areas of utility. The device is useful where uniformdistribution of discharged liquid over a wide area is desired, and it isalso useful Where aeration of the discharged liquid is most desired.These advantages and benefits are provided in a device having no movingparts.

The foregoing description has been presented by reference to certainembodiments of the invention in order that the invention may be clearlyunderstood, rather than by way of limiting the invention. Workersskilled in the art to which the invention relates Will appreciate thatvariations may be made in the structures described without departingfrom the scope of the invention or from the following claims whichdefine the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid discharging and distributing device comprising a bodydefining an inner chamber having ends spaced from each other by thelength of the chamber, a liquid inlet into the chamber at one endthereof, the body having outer wall surfaces and defining inner wallsurfaces for the chamber and a liquid outlet opening therethroughlaterally from the chamber, the outlet opening being spaced along thelength of the chamber from the ends thereof and having a minimum areagreater than the area of the inlet opening, the outlet opening havingperipheral boundary surfaces conlfigured and arranged so said minimumarea of the outlet opening is defined at a selected location laterallyof the chamber inwardly toward the chamber inner wall surfaces from saidbody outer wall surfaces and produces a characteristic distributionpattern of liquid emitted therefrom.

2. A liquid discharging and distributing device comprising a bodydefining an inner chamber having enc' spaced from each other by thelength of the chamber,

liquid inlet opening into the chamber at one end therecv. the bodyhaving outer wall surfaces and defining inne Wall surfaces for thechamber and a liquid outlet oper ing therethrough laterally from thechamber, the outle opening being spaced along the length of the cham-befrom the ends thereof and having a minimum area greate than the area ofthe inlet opening, the body along a least a portion of the periphery ofthe outlet openin being relieved along the outer wall surface so theoutle opening has a boundary surface in said portion of lesse extentlaterally from the chamber inner wall surface th-a1 the outlet openingboundary surfaces over the remainde of the periphery of the outletopening.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said minimun area of the outletopening is defined at the intersectior of the chamber inner wallsurfaces with the boundar surfaces of the outlet opening.

4. A device according to claim 3 wherein the outle opening boundarysurfaces adjacent the ends of th chamber are parallel to each other andare inclined out wardly of the. chamber toward the other end of 11chamber.

5. A device according to claim 4 wherein the exterioi of body along theboundary surface disposed toward th one end of the chamber is relievedtoward the chambe1 so that said boundary surface has a lesser extentlaterally of the chamber than the boundary surface adjacent the otherend of the chamber.

6. A device according to claim 3 wherein the outlel opening has agreater extent along the length of the chamber than it has transverselyof the chamber.

7. A device according to claim 6 wherein the chambel has a circularlycylindrical configuration and the outlet opening boundary surfaces whichextend along the chamber diverge from each other proceeding radiallyoutwardly of the chamber by an angle exceeding the arc subtended by saidsurfaces at the inner surfaces of the chamber walls.

8. A liquid discharging and distributing device comprising a bodydefining an inner chamber having ends spaced from each other by thelength of the chamber, the body being adapted adjacent one end of thechamber and externally thereof for connection in liquid flow relation toa liquid supplyduct, a liquid inlet opening into the chamber at the oneend thereof, the body defining walls for the chamber and a liquid outletopening laterally from the chamber, the outlet opening being spacedalong the length of the chamber from the ends thereof and having aminimum area greater than the area of the chamber inlet opening, thechamber wall at the exterior of the body along at least a portion of theperiphery of the outlet opening being relieved.

9. A device according to claim 8 wherein the outlet opening has agreater extent transversely of the chamber than it has along the lengthof the chamber.

10. A device according to claim 9 wherein the inlet opening is locatedeccentric of the longitudinal axis of the chamber.

11. A device according to claim 10 wherein the inlet opening is centeredtoward the outlet opening on a plane longitudinally of the chamber whichbisects the extent of the outlet opening transversely of the chamber.

12. A device according to claim 11 wherein the ends of the chamber arespaced from the nearest extent of the outlet opening a distance at leastas great as onet'ourth the maximum transverse dimension of the chamber.

13. A liquid discharging and distributing device comprising a bodydefining a circularly cylindrical inner chamber having spaced ends, thebody being adapted adjacent one end of the chamber and externally of thechamber for connection in liquid flow relation to a liquid supply duct,the one end of the chamber defining a liquid nlet opening into thechamber eccentric of the axis of he chamber, the body defining walls forthe chamber tnd an outlet opening laterally from the chamber, the )utletopening being spaced along the length of the cham- Jer from the endsthereof and having a minimum area greater than the area of the inletopening, the outlet )pening having a greater extent circumferential-1yof the :hamber than longitudinally of the chamber, the outlet )peninghaving boundary surfaces adjacent the ends of he chamber which areparallel to each other and are nclined outwardly of the chamber towardthe other end )f the chamber, said boundary surfaces being circularly:ylindrical and concave toward the other end of the cham- 381', theexterior of the body along the extent of the Joundary surface disposedtoward the one end of the :hamber being relieved toward the chamber todefine a :urface intersecting said boundary surface and lying nornal tothe boundary surface disposed toward the other and of the chamber.

14. A device according to claim .13 wherein the outlet Jpening boundarysurfaces are inclined to the axis of the :hamber at an angle ofsubstantially 30.

15. A liquid discharging and distributing device comprising a bodydefining an inner chamber having ends spaced from each other by thelength of the chamber, a liquid inlet into the chamber into the chamberat one end thereof, the body defining walls for the chamber and anoutlet opening laterally from the chamber, the outlet opening beingspaced along the length of the chamber from the ends thereof, a maskmember disposed along the inner surface of the chamber walls adjacentthe outlet opening, in fixed relation to the body, the mask member beingpositioned so that it partially closes the outlet opening but providesan outlet opening having a greater effective area than the inletopening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,380,769 6/1921 Carlson 239-5982,785,005 3/1957 Thompson 239598 X 2,990,120 6/1961 Reynolds 239-204 X3,022,016 2/1962 Shrewsbury 239597 X 3,082,961 3/1963 Hruby 239598 M.HENSON WOOD, 111., Primary Examiner.

V. M. WIGMAN, Assistant Examiner.

1. A LIQUID DISCHARGING AND DISTRIBUTING DEVICE COMPRISING A BODYDEFINING AN INNER CHAMBER HAVING ENDS SPACED FROM EACH OTHER BY THELENGTH OF THE CHAMBER, A LIQUID INLET INTO THE CHAMBER AT ONE ENDTHEREOF, THE BODY HAVING OUTER WALL SURFACES AND DEFINING INNER WALLSURFACES FOR THE CHAMBER AND A LIQUID OUTLET OPENING THERETHROUGHLATERALLY FROM THE CHAMBER, THE OUTLET OPENING BEING SPACED ALONG THELENGTH OF THE CHAMBER FROM THE ENDS THEREOF AND HAVING A MINIMUM AREAGREATER THAN THE AREA OF THE INLET OPENING, THE OUTLET OPENING HAVINGPERIPHERAL BOUNDARY SURFACES CONFIGURED AND ARRANGED SO SAID MINIMUMAREA OF THE OUTLET OPENING IS DEFINED AT A SELECTED LOCATION LATERALLYOF THE CHAMBER INWARDLY TO-